Cheryl and Virg, January 2016

The phone rang just as we had settled in to watch our usual evening TV programs – PBS News Hour, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.  (We’re old.  What can I say?)

“Hello.  Is this Maud’s Whore House?” came the familiar voice.

Virg of the outrageous mouth!  Virg who says what he thinks in language that might make a trucker’s hair curl. Fun-loving, exuberant Virg of the big heart, big laugh, and generous spirit. Virg (soft ‘g’) Kocher (hard ‘ch’), husband of Cuzzin (third, twice removed) Cheryl — beautiful, patient, ever-the-lady-Cheryl who never ever registers surprise at anything Virg says or does .

Virg at Lake Chelan

We met them through Cheryl’s brother, Cuzzin Ralph – who had made contact with us about the time of the Oysterville Sesquicentennial in 2004.  “My sister and her husband have a place out in Surfside,” he said.  “You should meet them!”  Finally, we did and we all wondered what had taken so long.

Their place in Surfside was almost directly west of us as the crows and seagulls fly.  They spent the winters here and the summers at their home on Lake Chelan.  From October through April they were regulars at our Friday Night gatherings.  We attended all of their performances (Virg, clarinet; Cheryl, flute) at the North Coast Symphonic Band across the river.  They came to dinner here; we went to dinner there. We shared the same political views and we had similar career backgrounds – they had both been teachers in the Gig Harbor area.  Music teachers, of course!

Virg-the-Chef, 2014

When Cheryl’s dad (in his 90s) needed to move from his place in Lacey to an assisted living facility, Cheryl and Virg moved up there to be nearby.  They made a few minor changes to his house, sold their place in Surfside and settled in to a life divided between Lacey and Chelan.  At first they came here during clamming seasons but, in recent years, have been going to a closer beach – Ocean Shores, maybe.

Gradually, we have found that see one another less and less – maybe once or twice a year.  We miss them a lot!  So, when I heard that familiar voice last night, it was with delight that I answered, “Yep!  Maude speaking!”  They are coming for a visit early next week!  And, as they so often do, they are bringing dinner!  Woot!  Woot!